


The proposal

by Sawcha



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Blood fear, Crimson Flower, Drowning, Fluff, Hemophobia, M/M, Male Byleth - Freeform, Marriage, PTSD, Post-War, blood mentions, domestic life, learning emotions, m/m - Freeform, post crimson flower, proposal, traumas, war mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27452914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sawcha/pseuds/Sawcha
Summary: Byleth and Linhardt are in a relationship for quite a while. It's been such a long time that Byleth decides to ask Linhardt in marriage. But at the moment he decides to do his proposal, things doesn't go as planned...
Relationships: Linhardt von Hevring/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	The proposal

« This ring is the only keepsake I have of her. In time, it will be yours. One day, I hope you'll give this ring to someone you love as well as I love her. »

Byleth has been thinking a lot about his father's words. Someone he loves, right... When his father told him that, he didn't know who would be this special someone. At times, he was wondering how to find them. This even was something he wanted to ask to his father. How do you know who is your special someone ? But before he could ask anything to him, he was gone. Killed. A dagger in the back. And Byleth couldn't do anything to save him. Just accept his fate. And take the ring his father left.   
Jeralt's death didn't help him to know more. When he was grieving, he kept saying to himself that he didn't want to be separated from something that important, a ring that has been in their family for so long. It was hard. But somehow he managed to find some other belongings. In the ruin the academy became, he realised his father's quarters were still here, with some old stuff. Some memories Byleth didn't thought he'll find. Pieces of armor. Children books he used to read to his son. Old rusted spears. So many memories from the famous Captain Jeralt. So when he realised how much his father left behind, he also realised it was okay to give the ring to someone.   
But... Who ? He didn't know. He wasn't learning about emotions for a long time. He just knew what it's like to be angry. To be sad. To be proud. But to love ? He loved his students. All of them. But this wasn't the same kind of love his parents had for each other. Expect for one. There was one student he loved more than the rest. One student he kept loving five years after the time he was everyone's favorite teacher. One student he spent his time to protect during the war. One student he loved to fish with. One student that wasn't really a student since he wasn't his professor anymore.   
Linhardt Von Hevring.  
Byleth never knew about love. So at first he felt kind of weird when he realised how Linhardt had an effect on him. And he didn't knew about love between men either. So he was kind of lost in the beginning. Was it okay ? How would Linhardt react ? And he had no one to talk about it. His father was dead. Alois, who promised to be like his big brother and to protect him, was killed too when they had to fight against each other. The empress was too busy with the war. Hubert was considering him too much a threat to Lady Edelgard for him to trust him with such a secret. Caspar was Linhardt's best friend : if Byleth told him about that, of course Caspar would repeat it to the mage ! Ferdinand was... Let's just say Ferdinand was Ferdinand. The only people he could ask about it were Dorothea and Petra. Even if they tried to hide it, Byleth noticed how close they were. This was reassuring, if people were okay with the two of them dating then he knew they would be okay with him dating Linhardt. So he asked them about love, about dating, how to know when you're in love. But he didn't tell them who was his loved one. If Dorothea knew he loved Lin' so much, she might not be quiet about it...

« Love... It's kinda funny. You don't know when it's coming. It just takes you and mess with your brain. But you like this kind of mess. » 

She explained to Byleth. He didn't know what to think of her explanation. But she was right. Linhardt was messing with his brain, and his heart too. So when the war ended, Byleth decided it was the right time to tell him. He never thought he was brave enough to tell him how much he loved him. But this wasn't the most surprising thing : the most surprising thing was that Linhardt loved him back !  
And here we are now. Edelgard is the empress. Ferdinand and Hubert are still by her side and seem to have a better relationship than before. Caspar is the Minister of Military Affairs and is still eager to fight someone, even for a simple training. Dorothea and Petra live together in Brigid, far from the Empire and the horrible memories of war hauting Dorothea, but still close enough for them to have news from their old comrades. Bernadetta is reclused in her lands but still makes the effort to go to Enbarr to see her old comrades too. And finally Linhardt and Byleth live together in the Hevring territory. Oh, Linhardt was supposed to be one of Edelgard's minister, but the war marked him too much for him to handle more than that. So they both retire, spending their quiet days fishing, studying Byleth's crest and of course taking naps. Naps were important, Linhardt always says.  
Of course they were some difficult days too. The war still marks their minds. Sometimes Linhardt is taken with trembling when he cut himself while working. Sometimes Byleth wakes up in the middle of the night after terrible nightmares. Sometimes Linhardt starts vomiting when the hunters bring back some bloody meat to the cooking chiefs. Sometimes Byleth sees his old scars and has the feeling they're still hurting him. But they have each other. When one of them feels their traumas crawling under their skin, the other is there to take care of them. When one of them has nightmares, the other is there to give him a comforting breakfast. They always have a little attentions for each other, something small, but the kind of attentions that brightens a day.   
And even in the best days, they have each other. Byleth's laps are good enough for Linhardt to sleep on. Linhardt always helps Byleth to reconize a good catch when they fish. Byleth always helps Linhardt with crests studies. Linhardt always knows how to stop Byleth when he overworks himself. Byleth always know how to deal with Hevring's family lands and all administratives tasks Linhardt had trouble to understand. And there's so many things Byleth can list. So many things he likes about the daily life. So many things he likes about Linhardt in general.  
So when he found back his father's ring, kept in a drawer of their room for such a long time, he realised something : he wanted Linhardt to have it. He wanted to be his husband. No one else. He wanted to be the one that would spend his whole life with the Von Hevring heir. They were partners but he wanted to call him more than just a boyfriend. 

Byleth was waiting for him, at the pond. This was their favourite place to fish. A place where they have such a good time. The perfect place for him to ask Linhardt to marry him. So he was waiting, thinking. He wasn't the best about expressing his feelings... How would Linhardt reacts ? What if he refused ? Byleth didn't want to think about it. But at the same time, he knew Linhardt had some obligations as a noble. Not a lot of people in Von Hevring's territories knew about their relationship and even if they love each other so much, they had to hide it. What if he refuses, knowing how much it could be dangerous for him ? But at the same times, Linhardt wasn't the kind of man to care about what people would thing of him. And they could always count on their friends from the Black Eagles if they needed support. But at the same time, Linhardt was the kind of guy who takes it easy... Such an engagement might be too much for him. He thought about using his time travel power if things get wrong, but this wasn't right. What to do ? This was so stressful ! 

« Hey. You wanted to see me ? »

Byleth was so lost in thoughts he didn't heard Linhardt coming. His voice was so unexpected that he jumped out of surprise.

« Did I scare you ? »

Linhardt says, amused.

« N-No, I... I... » 

This was the moment. The reason why he asked him to come. This was now or never. There won't be other occasions. But when he tried to calm himself, Byleth realised something.  
The ring wasn't in his hand anymore.  
Oh no. This couldn't get any worse ! He lost the reason why they were here ! Where was it ? Don't tell me it's in the pond, he thought... He tried looking everywhere around him, worrying his boyfriend.

« Byleth ? You're okay ?  
\- Y-Yeah, it's just... Just... I lost something. I think it fell in the water.   
\- Is it why you wanted me to come ?  
\- … Yes. But it's okay. I can do without it.  
\- I can help you with it ! What is it ?  
\- It's just... Something that belonged to my father, he answered without saying too much  
\- That must be important, then. »

Linhardt knew how much his boyfriend cared about what Jeralt left. Without any hesitation, he takes off his cape. Byleth didn't have the time to say anything : Linhardt was already diving in the pond ! 

« Lin ! »

He called him, worried. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. The water was deeper than anyone think. So many things fell in there before : how could Linhardt find the lost item when he didn't even know what it was ? Byleth keeps looking for the ring on the surface. It must be close... And it was : the ring was actually stuck on one of the fishing baits. What a relief... It wasn't that far and Linhardt could go back to the surface even if he didn't find anything.

« Lin ! Look, I... »

No answer. Was Linhardt still looking into the water ? This idea worried Byleth. This was the right time to dive and to tell him everything was under control. But things got worse when he saw something in the water. Something red.  
This was blood. This was definitely blood. And just thinking about it made Byleth panic. Linhardt was hurt. Worse, he might be inconscious under the water and can't go back. And even if he was conscious, this wasn't good either : Linhardt was so afraid of blood he could lose breath while panicking.  
The former professor didn't hesitate any longer. He dived too, looking for Linhardt. He was still conscious, thank the Goddess. But he had a cut on his arm and he was definitely panicking. Byleth swims as fast as he could, grabbed his boyfriend and brought him back to the surface. They were both breathing loudly. Especially Linhardt. It was hard to know what makes him breath like that : the lack of air underwater or the blood on him ? Fortunately Byleth tear some fabric from his own cloak and made a bandage out of it around his arm. 

« W-What happened ? He asked hardly, still trying to take his breath.  
\- Rock, I guess... »

Now that the blood wasn't visible anymore, Linhardt managed to stay calm. But somehow Byleth was still panicking and the mage didn't know why.

« Hey, don't worry. We'll find your item soon.  
\- I found it back. It wasn't far.  
\- Everything is okay then ! »

But Byleth was shaking. No, it wasn't okay. Linhardt knew how much his boyfriend didn't express himself a lot, so he knew Byleth wouldn't tell him what's going on. Slowly, hoping to be a reassuring presence, Linhardt hold him in his arms.

« Hey... It's okay now. You found your item back, haven't you ?   
\- I... I thought... I thought I was going to lose you. »

Oh.

« I thought... When I saw you bleeding, I thought you drowned yourself. And... And...  
\- Hey, look at me. I'm here. I'm okay. And we found back what you were looking for. Everything's great now. »

Byleth was still shaking. Linhardt spoke to him slowly, being as reassuring as possible.

« Lin, I... This item is important but not important enough to risk losing you, Byleth managed to say when he was more calm.  
\- You spend my whole scholarship looking for lost items. I'm sure you took risks, too. I guess this was my way to thank you.  
\- But... I...  
\- I'm here, Byleth. I'll always be here. Be sure about that. »

He smiled and kissed his forehead.

« Do you... Do you want to go home ? »

He asked. Linhardt knew Byleth asked him to come here for some reason, but maybe his boyfriend was too mentally exhausted after those events.

« Lin. I... I want to tell you something. Something important. The item... It wasn't just something that belonged to my father. It was the ring he gave to my mother.  
\- And you're telling me it's not important ? Linhardt asked, surprised.  
\- It's important, I agree. But your life is more important than this. I can't... I can't ask you what I want to ask you if you're not here. The ring has big place in this demand but... Not as much as you, you know ? »

Linhardt stays quiet. He has a small idea of what Byleth was going to ask him. He let him speak.

« Lin. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Wake up with you at my side. And sleep with you at my side, too. There still so many things I want to do with you, but... Not as your boyfriend. Linhardt Von Hevring... I want to become your husband. That's why I wanted to meet you here. To make my proposal. But things didn't really happen as I planned... » 

Thinking about how he thought Linhardt almost died made him shake again.

« Sorry it didn't happen as you planned. And... Sorry if I made you worry.  
\- I-It's okay, it's just... I don't want to take the risk of losing you again.  
\- You won't. I'm here. I'll always stay here. I was here as your boyfriend, and I'll be here as your husband.  
\- Wait. You... You really want to ?!  
\- Why wouldn't I ?   
\- We... We've been together for such a long time and I know how much you're scared about sudden changes... I thought this would be too much for you...   
\- Byleth, we've been living a life as a married couple. I knew this would come one day or another. Let's make it official, now.   
\- You're not scared about what will happen ?  
\- A little bit. But... We have each other. So... I'm sure it will be fine. »

They hold each other closer. Byleth was so glad he thought he cried. Such a relief... Linhardt was here. And they were fiances, now.  
Byleth found him. He found that famous person he loves as much as his father loved his mother. He never been the most expressive man. But anyone that would see him right now would realise how much right now he was the happiest man alive.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be something written for Linhardt's birthday but I didn't have time to post it ! I struggled to write it to be honest... I hope it's good enough thought !
> 
> The next thing I'll post might be some chapters of my Pokemon/OC, I have two already written ! It's in French thought


End file.
